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Which iPad apps you MUST have

20/11/2013

What was life like before iPad?! Seriously, how did I live my life? This whole malarkey reminds me of getting my first smart phone. That was - believe it or not - just 5 years ago (and everyone & their cat were on like their 5th smart phone back then!). I used to be one of those people who believed that they did not need modern technology. A bit like my dad. Then I got hooked on it and started falling asleep while dropping my phone on my face. The transformation. And obviously - I didn't need an iPad. Until I got one. Now I cannot drag myself into the kitchen/bath/bed/you-name-it without it.

What is the magical power that's keeping it in my hand 24/7? The apps. And the fact that even the eBay app is so much better on the iPad than on my smartphone (or even laptop). Here's a list of apps you need to have on your iPad - some of them are obvious, some of them are not. And there's definitely no Kylie Jenner app.

🖥​ Bloglovin': Blogs look even more beautiful through Bloglovin' on iPad. The colours are even crisper and the reading through blog posts have never been easier. I like using this to comment on my favourite blogs - so - much - easier!

🖥​ Beautiful Mess: I bet the Beautiful Mess was one of the first blogs you've ever read, right? Everyone reads Elsie's blog. Like, everyone. Their app, Beautiful Mess, makes pictures for your Instagram even prettier - with Beautiful-Mess-esque doodles and frames and all the typical Elsie cuteness. You can also find 14 other amazing photography apps here.

🖥​ Jamie Oliver: I'm a crappy cook, to put it nicely. Statistically, only about every 5th dish I make is edible and probably 1 in 20 tries ends up close to tasty. I've tried about million cookbooks, online recipe books... and nothing helped. Then I found these Jamie Oliver recipes on one food & hospitality college website (yes, I was that desperate) and surprise surprise, I managed to cook about three alright dishes in a row. This app is a godsend. It not only gives you step by step instructions, it shows you videos of Jamie cooking the dish, it even gives you a shopping list (and you can combine shopping lists for a whole week of shopping, whaaaaa!). Ever since using this app I have found a love for cooking & baking (especially bread making) and have stocked up on dozens of cook books. Hurray!

🖥​ Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: All social media you need. I know so many people who still use desktop for Facebook and Twitter rather than their phones/iPads. Just - WHY?!

🖥 Hootsuite or other social media management platform: Because it goes hand in hand with the above and it's a priceless little app when you're a full time blogger.

🖥​ eBay & Depop: There are bin liners full of old crap under my bed. It's not A bin liner. It's bin linerS. Uploading items on eBay or Depop via iPad is so much easier! It takes HD photos and you don't have to spend time copy/pasting bits here and bobs there. Two clicks - done - next!

🖥​ Pinterest: The colours are so clear and the contrast is so crisp - Pinterest on a whole new (much better!) level. I've pinned hundreds of pictures yesterday. And the day before. I do that every day to be perfectly honest with you.

🖥​ Goodreads: Whenever I pop into Waterstones for a browse and pick up a book I may buy - I first have to read the reviews on Goodreads. Yeah, I'm one of those people who read reviews before they buy a can of cider. If 100 people like it, there's a decent chance I will too, no?

🖥 ​Blogger or BlogGo: If you can make it work that is. I have a love hate relationship with this app. Sometimes it's the best thing since sliced bread sometimes I can't even switch it on. On days like those I just use Notes. Agh.

🖥​ E-mail: And now you can reply to all those lovely brands & PRs straight away, woop hoop! I do recommend syncing all your inboxes into one big Outlook one - oh the simplicity!

🖥​ Skype: How are there still people without Skype I won't understand.

🖥​ Asda: The controversial topic of which one is your supermarket of choice. Erm. Asda. Obviously. I can't actually recall the last time I went physically shopping into a supermarket. I order everything online via their app and they bring it literally into my kitchen. You gotta love technology on days like those.